(Flickr / groovysoup)

The Cyberbullying and Internet Shenanigans Prevention Act of 2013 (CISPA), which would have outlawed cyberbullying and imposed harsh criminal fines on trolls, has failed. Although passed by the House of Representatives, the Senate has indicated it will not consider the bill, effectively killing it.

The news comes as a harsh blow to its many supporters, who had been pushing Congress for troll reform for years.

Harriet Whitestone, who founded the grassroots organization Moms Against Bullies after her son fell victim to a ruthless cyberbully, was eternally livid.

"Once again, the government has failed to protect our children from the scourge of console cowboys who roam the digital frontier in search of new victims to harrass," she told reporters. "This legislation would have set forth some common-sense regulations that would have allowed us to back our internet from the trolls. Unfortunately, the Senate has sided with the cyberbullies."

Many were quick to blame the powerful troll lobby. Taxpayers for a Free Internet, a pro-troll SuperPAC which spent an estimated $69 million to defeat CISPA, could not be reached for comment.